U.S. weighs total blockade on Cuban oil imports

The White House is weighing a total blockade of Cuba's oil imports among options aimed at driving regime change in the Caribbean country, U.S. media outlet Politico reported Friday.

The plan has been backed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said the report, citing people familiar with the matter.

No final decision has been made so far, but related debates are ongoing within the Trump administration, according to the report.

The loss of Venezuelan oil shipments -- and the resale of some of those cargoes that Havana used to obtain foreign currency -- has already throttled Cuba's economy, said the report, adding that a total blockade of oil imports into Cuba could "spark a humanitarian crisis", a possibility that has led some in the administration to push back against it. The Wall Street Journal previously reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration is plotting to overthrow the Cuban government by year-end. Following a large-scale attack on Venezuela on Jan 3, which resulted in the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Trump hinted Cuba might be the next target, threatening that Cuba would struggle to hold on if it lost Venezuelan oil supplies.

On Jan 11, Trump said no more Venezuelan oil or money will go to Cuba, and suggested that the island should strike a deal with Washington, ramping up pressure on Cuba.

In response, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Cuba does not attack or threaten, but it is ready to defend the homeland to the last drop of blood.

Cuba imports about 60 percent of its oil supply, according to the International Energy Agency. Venezuela had been Cuba's main crude supplier before the U.S. seizure of Maduro.

Two white-tailed sea eagles, a first-class nationally protected species, have been recorded for the first time at the Aral National Wetland Park in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The footage, captured by local photographers, shows the powerful raptors feeding on the frozen wetland and sometimes taking flight.

Their arrival highlights the improving wetland ecosystem and a more complete food chain.

Located in southern Xinjiang, the wetland has a mild winter climate with little snowfall, attracting tens of thousands of migratory birds, such as mallards and ruddy shelducks, to overwinter every year.